Chicken and Noodles

Here we go – first recipe test for the blog! Chicken and Noodles from the Pioneer Woman. I have a pretty intense obsession with Ree Drummond (the Pioneer Woman). She’s a self-proclaimed accidental country girl who likes the city just as much but isn’t afraid to live off the land and make more out of it than I ever could. Last Saturday morning I was watching her show while sipping my coffee and staring blankly into space when the recipe she was making started to wake me up. Homemade savory chicken and noodles? One last hurrah to winter before heading full force into spring? I was sold. This was incredibly affordable, too. Just allow yourself a little time. Get that new Johnny Cash album, some good bourbon, a good book, and be prepared to take a few breaks.

I made a few changes to her recipe (reflected below):
• I doubles the veggies because… I love vegetables and wanted more.
• I didn’t use frozen noodles. Dried were just fine.
• I added a bit more salt for my taste.
• I would have strained the homemade broth to better eliminate bones (made this change below)
• I have something against white pepper so… I changed it to black pepper.

Directions:1) Cover chicken in up to 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2) Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat as you can while shredding it. Return the bones to the pot and simmer in broth on low for 45 minutes.
3) Remove bones from broth with slotted spoon. Drain broth into another bowl to catch all small bones but keep all the broth.
4) Add broth back to the pot and then add celery, carrots, and onions, followed by herbs and spices. Simmer for ten minutes.
5) Increase heat and add egg noodles and chicken. Cook 8-10 minutes.
6) Add flour and water. Stir until smooth. Cook another 5 minutes for broth to thicken.